Cirque du Freak: A New Friend
by Trowa no Miko
Summary: Darren Shan is a half-vampire. What happens when he meets someone just like him?
1. A New Friend

AN: Some jerk just yelled at me for not knowing how to fully use fanfic.net. Sorry for being grouchy but I didn't see the misc. novel section. The book is called Cirque du Freak and it's by Darren Shan. Anyway, I hope you people enjoy it. Go out and read the series. It's really good.  
  
Cirque du Freak  
  
A New Friend  
  
I have been laying here for the past 20 minutes. Generally I'd be with Evra searching for small animals to feed to the Little People. We would usually do that after all our duties were accomplished but not today. Well, I should really say tonight.  
  
What could be keeping Mr. Crepsley? He told me that he would be here at 10:00 and it's now midnight. I wonder if he encountered some trouble. I grin at the thought. It's not that I hate Mr. Crepsley; it's just that he's part of the reason that I'm stuck like this.  
  
"Get up Darren,' Mr. Crepsley says as he walks into the little tent Evra, the snake-boy, and I share. Evra was out for the night running errands for Mr. Tall.  
  
Evra's my friend. We both travel with a freak show called "Cirque du Freak." Evra Von is one of the performers. He has a giant snake and he himself looks like a snake. He is a few years older than me and is very thin. His hair is a yellow-green color, his eyes are narrow, his fingers and toes are webbed, and he is covered in scales colored green, gold, yellow, and blue. Other than that he's a really great person once you've gotten used to his appearance.  
  
"Come on Darren. There's somebody I want you to meet," Mr. Crepsley says as I follow him to the outside of the tent.  
  
Mr. Crepsley is sort of like my teacher. He's a vampire and I am a half- vampire. I agreed to become his assistant if he gave me the antidote that would save my friend's life. Steve was bitten by Mr. Crepsley's spider, Madam Octa. After that I had to fake my death and leave my friends and family to go with Mr. Crepsley because I would not have made it on my own.  
  
Life as a half-vampire is okay but I'd rather be a normal kid. I especially dislike having to drink human blood. I've only done it once to save the memories of a dying friend. We vampires must drink from human blood to stay alive but we don't need it as often as one would think and we don't kill our victim. Actually, the process is pretty cool. Full vampires can breathe out a gas that puts the victim asleep and then uses super sharp nails to make a cut. Once we've drunk what we need a full vampire can use their spit to fix the wound.  
  
"Why are you walking so slowly?" Mr. Crepsley yells at me. "Are you ill?" I shake my head and pick up my pace. It is not a good idea to irritate him. The only reason I was walking slowly is because I'm tired. I think it might be time for a feeding. I feel drained. After he's done with me I think I'll find a rabbit or something to drink from. Hopefully he won't notice my weakness and try to get me to drink from another human.  
  
We walk through the camp towards the edge of the array of tents and into the forest. My eyes widen to what I see. There are two people standing there. The first character is a man. He's a lot like Mr. Crepsley. He's very tall and pale but he seems to be much younger than Mr. Crepsley. He's smiling and nods when Mr. Crepsley and I walk up to them.  
  
The other figure, a hauntingly beautiful girl, was the first to say something. "Mr. Crepsley," she nodded. "Darren. Hello," her soft voice is very soothing. It made me think of a lullaby and I just wanted to drift to sleep. The girl looked like she was a couple years younger than me but I'm not too sure if that's so. Looks can be deceiving, especially if you're a vampire of half-vampire because you age slowly.  
  
I couldn't stop staring at her eyes. Although she seemed so much younger than me, her eyes reflected many years of life. I was frozen like a deer locked onto the headlights of a car. Her eyes are a pale ghost-blue. Beautiful yet cold and distant. Could she be a vampire or even… a half- vampire like me?  
  
"Darren," Mr. Crepsley turned to me. "This is Tira. I want you two go back to your tent, Darren. They're staying with the Cirque du Freak for a while. I'll talk to you about it later, though. Mr. Grims and I have some business to discuss, at the moment, and it doesn't concern you."  
  
I spoke, "Yes sir." I turned towards Tira and signaled for her to follow me. Tira bowed to the two older men and turned to leave. We then headed back to Evra's and my tent.  
  
***  
  
Tira stood at the tent flap and I sat on my hammock. So far we had just been there in silence and then I finally decided to make conversation. "Are you," my voice trailed off. I'm so stupid. How can I ask her if she is one? I don't even know if she knows that Mr. Crepsley and I are vampires. That would have been dangerous. I take a deep breath; relieved that I didn't say anything.  
  
"A half-vampire," she finished my question for me. So she did know what Mr. Crepsley and I were. She walked over to me and sat down. "I am." I couldn't say a word. He voice was so captivating that all I could do was stair. On top of that she was the first female vampire I have met.  
  
Since she is half-vampire I bet she's not as old as she looks. Should I ask her? "How," I try not to stutter. I feel very weak. "How old are you?"  
  
She looks at me with what seems to be concern. "I'm __. Darren," her eyes pour into mine, "you don't look well. Have you fed lately?" She looks down. "On humans I mean."  
  
She can tell? Is that something we can do? Tell if another one of us needs human blood. The room gets blurry as I start to feel the effects of not feeding.  
  
"You haven't fed Darren. Stay here, I've got a vile I can give you." She stood up and quickly ran out of the tent towards the trailer Mr. Crepsley and Mr. Tall are in. I lie down on my hammock and begin to worry. I don't want to have to drink human blood. It's not human.  
  
***  
  
I hear a voice through the foggy haze I am now in. "Please drink, Darren." A hand is on my head propping me up and trying to force me to drink something. My eyes will only open a little and I see a form with jet-black hair trying to get me to drink. I refuse. She speaks again, her voice is so soothing, "Please Darren. I know you don't like to drink human blood but you don't want to die either. Drink."  
  
I hear another presence in the room. Is it Mr. Crepsley?  
  
No.  
  
The voice is too young. I finally recognize it. The voice is Evra. He must have came back while I was unconscious. "Why won't he drink?" I hear him ask.  
  
"Would you drink from a human?" Tira answers him. Her voice still has a soothing tone but seems sharper. Is she worried about me? We only just met.  
  
Evra shakes his head, "I guess I wouldn't."  
  
She puts the vile to my lips again. "Darren Shan, I know you can hear me. You have to drink or else you'll die. Don't worry about it being from a human. You are not a human." A drop of warm water falls onto my face. Could she be crying?  
  
"Just drink Darren," another figure walks up to me. I assume that it's Evra speaking but I can't really tell. The figure is too short to be Mr. Crepsley or that other man, Mr. Grims. Who else would be here?  
  
I open my mouth to let Tira ease the red liquid in. I swallow. Slowly after, I begin to feel a little better. I'm still a little dizzy and can't stand up yet but I can clearly see the two now.  
  
Tira is sitting on the hammock with me and she is the one holding my head up. In her right hand is the vile. There is still about three quarters worth of blood in it and she tries to get me to drink again. I easily accept this time.  
  
Evra is standing at the foot of the hammock. His snake is wrapped all around him and he smiles as he sees me coming to my senses. "Are you okay Darren," he asks.  
  
"Yeah," I reply. I try to sit up but Tira holds me down.  
  
"You have to drink it all," she says soothingly. "You'll just be okay for a couple of hours if you don't drink it all." She eases the vile to my lips again and I drink. When the vile is empty she gently puts it in a pouch and stands. She slowly places my head on the pillow. I try to sit up but she gently pushes me back down. "Don't be so quick to get up. You're still weak and it'll take a while until your strength is back." She smiles. It seems to light up her whole face. She no longer looks like that haunted girl I first saw. Tira chuckles and leaves.  
  
***  
  
Evra just stood in front of me. I felt well enough to sit up but I still couldn't stand. "What?" I finally asked him. "Don't stare at me. What do you want?"  
  
"Are you really okay?" He looked at me.  
  
"I'm fine," I didn't mean to snap at Evra. "Sorry," I lowered my head.  
  
"Who's that girl?" He inquired. He walked closer to me.  
  
"Her name is Tira. She's also a half-vampire. Mr. Crepsley says that she's staying with the Cirque du Freak for a while," I grinned. "Why?"  
  
"I was curious. She hasn't been around here before." He grinned, "You wanna go find her and thank her?"  
  
His question shocked me. Should I find her now? I put both legs firm on the ground and grabbed onto the hammock. "I guess I should go," I shrugged and shakily walked out of the tent and towards Mr. Crepsley's trailer.  
  
As I had suspected, Tira was inside along with Mr. Crepsley and Mr. Grims. "You're looking… better," she offered.  
  
I gave her a smile. Mr. Crepsley broke the silence, "Tira told us what happened. I am disappointed in you Darren. You didn't say anything and you could have died!" His last words stung. I could have died.  
  
I lowered my head, "I know. I'm sorry. Tira, thank you." I hope she understands how grateful I really am. Even if I had to drink human blood.  
  
Mr. Grims spoke, "If you will excuse me," his voice is very deep, "I have to go meet with Mr. Tall." He and Mr. Crepsley stood up. The two walked out of the trailer.  
  
As the two men left, Tira picked up some dirty vials and began cleaning them. "Tira," I said. She looked up from her work. "What was it like the first time you drank from human blood?"  
  
She looked at me. "My first time?" Her eyes were distant for a moment. "It wasn't a big event or anything. Mr. Grims and I were out on a routine hunt and I drank. It's nothing like your first drink," she lowered her head. "I'm sorry about your friend dying." My eyes widened. How did she know? She chuckled, "Didn't Mr. Crepsley tell you anything about us?" I shook my head. "Well," she sighed and put down the vials, "I've got psychic abilities. I see things people don't normally see."  
  
"Did Mr. Grims blood you?" I had to know about her. Why is she a half- vampire? Did she want to leave her family? "Why?"  
  
Her eyes once again became distant. "Why did I let him blood me?" I nodded. Her voice was soft. She again lulled me into a half-consciousness. "Mr. Grims raised me. I've lived on the streets most of my life. I used my abilities were the only thing that helped me keep living. Then Mr. Grims found me. I immediately knew who and what he is. I asked him if he would help me. He agreed but wouldn't blood me until I was 12. That's why I look so young." I was mesmerized by her voice. Is this part of her abilities, to be able to mesmerize someone like this?  
  
AN: So what do you people think? Is the ending okay? Don't worry, there's more coming. 


	2. Damien

AN: Find the Trowa quote (I couldn't resist). About the first chapter: Tira should be about 16, Darren should be around 15 and Evra should be about 17. I had some trouble locating the section that gives a hint on his age (the author doesn't say anything)  
  
Damien  
  
Tira and Mr. Grims have been with us for about a week now. I like it. Even though they both are extremely quiet. Mr. Grims' presence has kept Mr. Crepsley from demanding too much of me (considering what happened when I first met them) and Tira is someone whom I can relate to.  
  
Mr. Tall said that she can stay in our tent. I think Evra likes her too. He was surprised at how well his snake adapted to her. I was surprised too.  
  
Tira would sleep on the floor (I offered my hammock but she refused). One night Evra's snake got loose and found Tira asleep. I thought for sure she would be scared but she wasn't. I had woken up Evra in order to get his snake away from Tira but it wasn't necessary. Tira woke up and looked at Evra's snake. The snake slithered to her and coiled around her. Then Tira began stroking her. Evra and I were surprised but sensed no danger and so we went back to bed.  
  
I'm going to ask her how she did that when we go off to look for animals we can feed to the Little People. Right now I'm supposed to be taking care of Madam Octa. Mr. Crepsley and Mr. Grims are both sleeping right now. I watch them before finishing my work. I grin and walk out.  
  
"Darren," a soft voice rings through my ears as I turn around. Tira is walking toward me with Evra at her heels. I wonder what they were talking about. Her face is expressionless. All but her eyes. Her eyes always seem to be looking at some distant past. Like something is haunting her. Always haunted.  
  
I decide to ask her about Evra's snake. "Tira," I begin. Why is it only hard to talk to her? I'm not a shy person. "About last night. How were you able to keep Evra's snake from attacking you?"  
  
A small smile crept onto her face. "Beasts only bear their fangs at enemies. They're true to their emotions." She turned. "I am also telepathic. Come and I'll show you." Tira was walking towards the wolfman's cage.  
  
It's as if I am hypnotized by her voice. All I feel capable of doing is following her.  
  
She leads me to the cage and reaches through the bars. My eyes are wide with surprise as the wolfman merely rubs his head against her hand. What happened to the vicious creature that kills? She scratches his ear and pulls her hand away. "See?" she asks. All I can do is nod. I glance over at Evra. He looks as shocked as me. Tira is really amazing.  
  
***  
  
It's almost dark out. Tira and I are waiting for Mr. Crepsley and Mr. Grims to wake up. Evra is off preparing his snake for the show tonight. Tira does the act with the wolfman and Mr. Tall. It's probably safer with her there to control him. Again she is cleaning dirty vials.  
  
A slight noise is heard from our masters as they wake. Mr. Grims is the first to get up. He smiles towards me and bends down to kiss Tira on the cheeks. She smiles but it looks self mocking. Such a sad smile.  
  
"Darren," Mr. Crepsley says as he walks towards me. He hands me Madam Octa's cage and the flute used for a distraction to the audience. 'Darren' is pretty much the only thing he's said to me all week. He's still mad at me. It's not like he says much to me when he's not mad.  
  
"Are you nervous?" I ask as Mr. Crepsley and Mr. Grims leave. It's her first actual performance. I've seen her rehearse and so far there haven't been any problems. She shakes her head and walks towards the wolfman's cage. I start out towards the performance tent but watch her as I'm going. She's beautiful in her costume. Her pale skin glows against the black dress as it trailed down her back. It fits her slender form perfectly.  
  
I thought the show was great when I was part of the audience. Being part of the show is even better. The feeling of the audience's excitement is wonderful! I look over towards Tira. She and the wolfman are up first. She is looking at him the way she did earlier with Evra's snake and again with the wolfman.  
  
I walk over to her smiling. "Break a leg," I tell her.  
  
She smiles, "Thank you." A trumpet sounds. It is time to go out. Tira walks out as the Little People roll out the cage. The wolfman goes wild as he enters the stage. A few audience members began screaming. I smile at the thought of some fond memories.  
  
Mr. Tall walks out onto the stage and the wolfman immediately begins acting like a harmless puppy. I stare at Tira while Mr. Tall says his speech. Mr. Tall says the ending, "And none of them are harmless." As he walks off stage Tira opens the cage to the wolfman and he jumps out of the cage. There was a shocked silence coming from the audience.  
  
Tira spoke as she walked around the front of the stage, "Please remain quite. If my concentration is broken and he is startled, there is no telling what he will do." Both the audience and I are captivated by her voice. Or at least I think it's her voice. Could she be holding our minds?  
  
Not a sound is made during her entire performance. She and the wolfman bowed and the wolfman went into his cage. One of the Little People closed the door. The door was tightly secured and the wolfman once again became the snarling monster. Tira and the wolf man left the stage. A roar of applause was heard and I gave Tira a thumbs up. She returned my gesture with a small smile and left.  
  
Cormac Limbs is second. He walks onto the stage and begins.  
  
***  
  
As I was watching Evra and his snake, Mr. tall walked up to me. "Darren," he grabbed my attention and I begin turning towards him. "You and I will work with Madam Octa." I opened my mouth to protest. I've never done the job without Mr. Crepsley. "Mr. Crepsley is with Mr. Grims. That is all you need to know." I wordlessly nod my head and follow him to the stage.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen," he begins. "Our last act for the night is the most dangerous of all our acts." He points over towards me as the lights change their position, "I give you Darren Shan and Madam Octa." I open the cage and begin playing. Mr. Tall is deathly still as I instruct Madam Octa to perform different stunts. His life is in my hands. One wrong move or sudden noise and all could be lost.  
  
All that is lift is to get her in her cage. She's almost there. Beads of sweat are running down my face.  
  
Bang!  
  
The sudden sound broke my concentration but a second flute began its music before Madam Octa could get out of control. I turn to see who made the save. It's Tira! I smile as I see Madam Octa crawl into her cage and the door shut behind her. The crowd cheers but is suddenly stopped.  
  
"Silence," a shadow jumps down onto the stage in front of me. He walks towards Tira. There is no expression on her face. Even her eyes have no expression. Who is this guy? He grins, "My dear Tira." A dark hand grabs her chin. Her eyes are downcast as he speaks to her. Her long flowing black hair hides most of her face. The strange man's speech is barely audible and I can only hear bits of what he is trying to say. "How I've missed you so." He leans in and tries to kiss her.  
  
"Oh no you don't," I say as I tear her away from him.  
  
He chuckles. "Foolish boy. You dare try to meddle in my affairs?" He bends close to my face. "You're no match for me little *half-vampire.* My eyes are wide. He knows what I am? I feel Tira's shudders as I hold her back. If I was not here holding her I'm sure she would fall to the ground.  
  
"Freeze, Damien," a familiar voice calls out from the stands. I smile as I see Mr. Crepsley and Mr. Grims jump down from the roof of the tent.  
  
Damien turns. "Larten Crepsley… or should I say Vur Horston?" I gasp. Who is this guy? He chuckles. "It was nice playing with you but I must leave." With that the lights turn on and off and he is gone.  
  
Mr. Crepsley walks up to Tira and me. "Tira, take care of the audience and come back to my trailer." Tira nods and walks to the center of the stage.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen," her voice is calm. The lights center on her. The murmuring ceased as their attention turned to Tira. "We hope you enjoyed our show. Thank you for coming. Please exit over at the curtains to your left."  
  
'Darren,' her voice is in my head, 'these people won't remember what happened. Go to Mr. Crepsley's trailer. You'll get an explanation." I nod and walk out. Mr. Tall is there talking to Mr. Crepsley and Mr. Grims.  
  
Mr. Grims turns to me, "Darren, is Tira almost done?" I nod and she walks in.  
  
"Everybody is gone," she says and sits down near me. She puts her head in her hands. I put a hand on her shoulder. I am worried for her. Whoever that guy was seemed to want her. And I think he'll do anything to get her.  
  
Why?  
  
"Darren," Mr. Crepsley decided to speak. "It's not fair to leave you in the dark. Even more so now that he's seen you." He pauses, "Damien is a vampire hunter. One of the best."  
  
Tira picks her head up. "It's me he wants. I'll just go with him. I don't want you all put in danger."  
  
I am angry that she would even say something like that. "You can't! He's a vampire hunter. He can't just want you."  
  
Mr. Grims nods," Darren's right. At this moment you are his main objective but once he's done with you he'll go after us. We're all in the same boat."  
  
Mr. Tall stood. "Is it wise for you to stay with the circus? I don't want the others put in danger."  
  
Mr. Crepsley shakes his head. "They should not be in danger unless they get in the way. Either way will have to get rid of him." He sees the look on my face. "He'll kill us if we don't get to him first. Darren?"  
  
I nod. My head is downcast. I can't kill another person.  
  
***  
  
"Darren," Tira calls after me. I turn. She is no longer wearing the black dress but black drawstring pants and a black turtleneck tank-top. Her jet black hair flows freely around her face. "We have to talk." She sighs, "I understand how you feel. I don't want to have to kill anybody either but if it means risking the lives of others," her haunting voice dropped to a whisper. "I won't let innocents die. I'll die first."  
  
I'm too angry to respond. I can't kill another human being.  
  
Tira catches my thought. "Stop thinking like that," her voice was raised. She looked angry. "You are *not* a human anymore. You're part vampire and Damien will not see the human in you." Her eyes are a deep red. "All that could happen if we leave him alone is that he will kill another innocent. He'll do that even if we leave the circus. Fighting is the only thing that we can do."  
  
'And I don't want to leave my friends again,' I add silently.  
  
  
  
AN: So what do you people think? I kinda like it. Please tell me your opinion. 


	3. The Hunter's Assistant

AN: I'm really pissed. I had a chapter written out and it's gone. Now I have to rewrite. Anyway, some of the story won't be Darren's point of view. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out who is talking and what's going on. Sorry for not updating so often. The Hunter's Assistant  
  
Ever since Damien's appearance the whole camp has been on edge. We each take different shifts on keeping guard and we all stay in Mr. Crepsley's trailer. Tira and I keep watch during the day. Mr. Crepsley and Mr. Grims keep watch at night. That doesn't bother me much. At least I still get to see Evra and the others. And Tira is there so I don't have to face Damien alone.  
  
Not much is going on right now. Mr. Tall and Mr. Crepsley won't let Tira or me mover too far from the trailer. We can't even go out to help Evra look for small animals for the Little People, little creatures in purple hoods brought to help out at the cirque by a guy named Desmond Tiny. Maybe I am becoming more like a vampire. It used to bother me to kill anything but now I just do it. It's the only way to survive.  
  
Tira's back is up against a wall. Her legs are stretched out on the floor. Her hair covers most of her face. Is she crying? "Tira?" She looks up at me. What can I say? "Why is Damien after you?" I lower my head. What a stupid question. So obvious. He's a vampire hunter and we're vampires.  
  
"It's not because we're vampires, Darren. Well, it partially is." I'm surprised for a moment but then remember she's telepathic. She lowers her head, "Sorry. I don't try to read minds unless I have to. It's just that sometimes feelings are so strong that I hear them without trying."  
  
I smile, "Don't worry. I don't really have much to hide." In about a second she's right next to me. Was she flitting? Only full vampires could do that.  
  
She lets out a sigh, "At first we were always together. He was like my brother, maybe more than that. Life wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. We lived on the streets." Her eyes grew distant. It's strange. I can almost see a younger Tira and Damien as she speaks. "It's been nine years since we parted and I can remember that night like it was yesterday.  
  
"It was dark out and snow had just begun to fall. Damien and I were huddled together for warmth. Damien was soundly asleep next to me but something was keeping me up. I kept thinking on how cold and overprotective he had been acting lately. Like we were being watched. Then I heard it.  
  
"It was a soft clicking on the cobble stones. I strained my eyes trying to see in the shadows. That's where I saw Mr. Grims. But for some reason I wasn't afraid, even after I had read what he was.  
  
"As I shifted to meet him, Damien woke up. He knew exactly what I was thinking." Her eyes are down cast. "Right from the start he never trusted Mr. Grims. When he woke he jumped to his feet and immediately started attacking Mr. Grims and tried to push me away. I don't understand why he was so hostile. It couldn't have been fear.  
  
"Finally Damien stopped. When I asked if we could become his assistants, Damien grew angry and stormed off. Before he left he swore he'd become a vampire hunter and kill us all.  
  
"I thought he was just being silly and would come back like he always did, but he didn't. After that I began to learn vampire ways. Then I was blooded. There was only one other time that I saw Damien." her voice became shaky. "We were feeding when a shot nearly hit Mr. Grims. The two of us were just barely able to escape. After our encounter I didn't feed for weeks. I thought, that maybe if I got rid of my vampire ambitions I'd become human again. That Damien would come back and everything would go back to the way things were." She lowered her head. "Mr. Grims finally had to force blood down me. There is no turning back and Damien will continue to hunt our kind until his last breath." ***  
  
It's been a week and there has been no sign of Damien. Maybe he's given up. Probably not. Mr. Crepsley and Mr. Grims have agreed to let Tira and I go out now. We still can't go far from camp and never in the city. Things aren't that bad. Things are finally coming back to normal. Or as normal as a freak circus can get. ***  
  
A shady figure walks up the steps of the Leonard house. He knocks on the door and a boy around 12 years old appears. "Yes?" he asks. "What do you want?"  
  
"I know where Darren Shan is."  
  
Steve scowls, "Is this supposed to be some kind of joke? Darren Shan is dead. He's been dead for almost a year now."  
  
The figure shook his head. "You know very well he isn't. I can help you get your revenge. You'd like that. To kill the little half-vampire and Crepsley for tricking you like that." His smile radiated evil.  
  
Steve nodded and beckoned the strange man to come in. They both walked up to Steve's room. Steve was packing his bags while he spoke. "Who are you?"  
  
The man grinned. "My name is Damien. I am a vampire hunter."  
  
"Where is Darren and how do you know about all this?" Steve was excited that he'd finally be able to get Darren but he was still skeptical of Damien. 'What if he is a vampire and is just trying to get me?' he though.  
  
"I assure you, Steve. I am *not* a vampire. Nor would I ever consider it."  
  
'Did I say that out loud?' Steve shook his head. "If you know where they are then why do you need me?"  
  
Damien shook his head. "There are four of them, two of which are only half breeds but are still very powerful. I have the tools and everything needed but four against one is just too risky. Will you join me?" Steve thought for a moment and nodded. He had nothing to loose by leaving. 'I am finally going to get my revenge,' he thought with a smile. ***  
  
Evra and I are lounging in a river near the camp site. It's not often that we get free time, especially with Damien on the loose. I still haven't told Evra about Damien. I'm more than sure he suspects something. After all, he was at the tent when Damien first struck.  
  
"Darren." Here it comes, "Who was that guy?"  
  
I look at him. If I tell you, my friend, I risk putting you in danger. I don't want a situation similar to what happened with the vampeneze. I shook my head; Evra can take care of himself. "His name is Damien. He's a vampire hunter."  
  
His voice is low, "Are you going to leave?"  
  
I shake my head. "We don't plan to. I hope we don't leave." The two of us sit in silence. Evra is staring at me. I finally break, "What?"  
  
"Where's Tira?"  
  
I shrug. "Probably in the trailer." I hope she's sleeping. She hasn't sept since that guy came. ***  
  
Tira is sitting inside Mr. Crepsley's trailer. Tears are in her eyes and she's in a tight fetal ball. "Why does he do this? Damien is the only person I can't read." She looks at the sleeping forms of Mr. Grims and Mr. Crepsley. "I'm the reason he became a vampire hunter. It's my fault the others are in danger. All my fault. Damien, what have you become?" ***  
  
Darkness had already set in as Damien and Steve walked through the forest. Both are heavily armed. "I know Mr. Crepsley and Darren are two of the vampires. Who are the others?"  
  
"A half-breed and vampire. The half is a girl about your age. Don't underestimate her. Her powers far surpass those of a normal vampire, let alone a half-breed. The other vampire is a man like Mr. Crepsley. If it weren't for their numbers and Tira," his voice was filled with lust, "I would have killed him a while back." Damien turned to Steve. "Stay away from Tira, she's mine." He smiled. 'I will get her back,' he thought.  
  
Steve nodded. "How do you know they are here?"  
  
Damien pulled out a tracking device. "Do you have any more questions?" Steve shook his head.  
  
The two walked silently down the pathway into the circus. Not much activity was around. ***  
  
Evra and I have been in our tent for hours now. We had check on Tira earlier. She had finally fallen asleep but something was not right.  
  
"We should go and see if Tira is still asleep," Evra suggests. I nod and we head to the trailer.  
  
Mr. Crepsley, Mr. Grims and Tira are all awake. I sense something wrong. "Somebody's coming," Tira says. "I feel an unknown presence. It's objective is," she pauses, "Darren's death."  
  
"Damien," I ask, thinking about that night.  
  
Tira shakes her head. "No, I can't read Damien. Besides, this person is around your age."  
  
Who is my age and wants to kill me? My eyes widen to the number one suspect.  
  
"Steve!"  
  
Steve Leonard used to be my best friend until we went to the Cirque du Freak. That's where I found out about Mr. Crepsley being a vampire and that Steve wanted to become one as well. Mr. Crepsley said no and I thought that would be the end.  
  
I was wrong.  
  
One night I decided to steal Madam Octa, Mr. Crepsley's prized spider. Everything went smoothly until I decided to show Steve.  
  
We were in my bedroom playing tricks with her when Annie, my little sister, walked in and screamed. That startled the spider and she bit Steve. He lapsed into a coma and I was forced to go to Mr. Crepsley. That's how I became a half-vampire.  
  
He wouldn't give me the antidote unless I agreed to it. He blooded me and Steve was saved.  
  
I thought I could survive without Mr. Crepsley, but that was soon proven wrong. I ended up having to "die" and leave my family and friends.  
  
Everything would have been smooth from there except Steve found out. He was jealous and swore that he would become a vampire hunter and kill me. That is why he is here now. How was I to know Damien was with him? ***  
  
"That's their trailer," Damien pointed. He pulled out two guns and handed Steve one. "They know we're here."  
  
"What's the plan?"  
  
"We attack head on." Damien turned his head to Steve. "Ready?" Steve nodded and they ran to the trailer. ***  
  
I jump to my feet as Steve storms in. He is holding what looks like a gun. It's target is me. "Step outside," he orders. Our only option is to obey. I'm thankful Evra is not with us.  
  
For a short second I am surprised at how much Steve has changed. He is much taller and his build is a little bigger. How long has it been? Two years? There's nothing different about me because half-vampires age 1/5 the rate of humans.  
  
"If you are smart, you won't try anything." Damien's gaze is on Tira. Their eyes meet. "Come here." She nods and slowly walks to him.  
  
I lunge. "Tira!" A shot is sounded and I freeze.  
  
"Don't move boy. The girl is mine." Tira is at Damien's side now. A blank expression on her face, almost as if. I stop myself. He couldn't have. Is that why she didn't look at him before? Does he have the power to control her?  
  
"Leave her alone," I growl.  
  
He merely laughs and nods to Steve. A shot rings out and then darkness.  
  
AN: I love Anne Rice!!!!!!!!! My new name should be Writer's Block. Anyway, what do you people think? I've written this chapter in so many different ways it's not even funny. 


	4. Captive

AN: This page is dedicated to the completion of the Hunters Trilogy. The Darren Saga totally rocks! Hmmm. The format for my last chapter sucks. I wonder what happened.  
Captive  
Where am I?  
  
I can't move. Something is holding me down. I open my eyes. I'm chained to a wall.  
  
"Nice to see you finally join us." The familiar voice rings out. It's tone mocking me. Finally I recount the past events. I turn my head and see the owner of the voice.  
  
Steve.  
  
He chuckles and walks toward me. "Darren Shan. It's been far to long since we've last spoken. Since you betrayed me." Swiftly, he pulls out a dagger, driving it extremely close to my head. Scraping a little of the skin. I wince as the feeling of blood trickles down my neck. "And yet, I see not one change in your bloody appearance. You're a freak! A monster. Worse yet, a traitor. And that's why, I'm going to kill you."  
  
"I-I didn't betray you, Steve. It was all a misunderstanding. Please, let me explain. I never wanted to become a vampire! It was the only way to save you from Madam Octa's poison-"  
  
"Lies!" He turned his back to me. His whole body began to shake. I could hear his breath catching. "But it's too late now. Whatever your defense may be. I don't care! Thanks to Damien, I'll finally get my revenge on both you and Creepy Crepsley."  
  
I pull at the restraints on my arms. Useless. I feel so weak. "Where are the others?"  
  
Laughing, Steve kicks me. "Don't worry your little self over the rest of the freak show. Your repulsive friends are safe," he smirked. "For the time being.  
  
"If you do anything to them I swear I'll-"  
  
"You'll do what?" He grins, "Relax. It's not like you can go anywhere. Even if you had that demonic strength, these chains are far too strong for you. Pretty soon I'll shoot with a highly toxic drug. Not even your demon blood can withstand it. First, your body will feel weak. Then you'll black out. The rest is followed by a slow and agonizing death. This is good bye Darren." I make one last attempt to break my bonds as Steve pulls out what appears to be a gun. I hear a shot ring out and I am engulfed in darkness once again.  
  
***  
  
I'm falling.  
  
Where are the others?  
  
Where am I?  
  
Darkness. Nothing but black as far as I can see.  
  
An endless fire.  
  
It burns!  
  
Images flash before me. My sister... My mom and dad... Evra... Tira. Mr. Crepsley. the Cirque.  
  
Steve!  
  
No. Not the Steve I know now. The Steve I grew up with. Yes. That Steve I thought I could trust. That Steve was my truest friend.  
  
A distant sound coming from all around me. "I'm going to hunt you down and kill you."  
  
I try to cover my ears.  
  
No, Steve! I didn't want this to happen! I never betrayed you! I was just trying to save you from certain death. ***  
  
My eyes snap open as I scream out.  
  
I look around me. I'm still in the dungeon but not chained to the wall like earlier.  
  
Shouldn't I be dead? Steve must have been bluffing.  
  
I try to stand up. My limbs are a little sore and shaky but work nonetheless. I search the darkened room for a door. It's on the far left corner. A big, brown wooden opening. I peer through the window, careful not to be seen. The coast seems to be clears. I try the door and, surprisingly, it opens.  
  
Now to find the others and escape.  
  
AN: So what do you readers think? Who could have released Darren? Is Steve and Damien being careless? Do I even know yet? 


	5. Lost

AN:I'm not sure why there was only an author's note for chapter 5 and I apologize. Here's what should have been written and posted seven years ago…

ANN: I wanted to say thankies to Faythe for the constructive criticism. To answer your question, I'm (was) 16 years old. As for your comments in the first few chapters, if I can fix them without getting rid of the reviews I will. If not, thanks anyway.

Also, about the setting for the dungeon, picture the dungeon underneath Viper Manor in "Crono Cross…"

Warning: there's some minor cursing in the story. Nothing that'll kill you people.

And now, back to the show…

Lost

Groping in the darkness isn't too bad for a half-vampire. Both vampires and half-vampires have far better senses than humans have and we are used to moving around in the dark. But still, I can't see a thing!

Why does this place smell so bad? It burns my nose and makes my head hurt. It's probably to confuse vampires they capture. If that's so, it's working.

What have I gotten myself into? I don't know where I'm going or where I came from. How am I supposed to get out of here? Are the others okay?

Wait!

My ears perk up at the sound of seemingly human voices. "Why isn't he dead yet?" The first voice shouted. I know it from somewhere. Why is it so familiar? "Monsters like him should be disposed of right away! Get rid of him."

Damien!

I creep closer to where I think the voice is coming from. "No, not yet," the younger voice sounded. It must be Steve. Even with my acute vampire senses, their voices are low and it's difficult to make out what they are saying. A slight echo adds to the strain to hear. "I don't want him dead yet," Steve hissed. "Darren Shan should suffer, just as I have suffered. He deserves to know what it's like to feel betrayed… lost… alone."

Is his voice wavering? Maybe some of the old Steve is still inside him. Wishful thinking…

Steve chuckles, "If only Creepy Crepsley and the rest of those freaks were caught too. I'll show them all. Every vampire is my enemy and I'll hunt them all down."

They don't have the others!

A slight chuckle sounded from Damien. "Whatever you say, boy. They'll be caught in due time- Now that I have Tira. Just remember, a good vampire is a dead vampire."

Steve yelled back, "Then why do you keep that girl? Surely she can't be any better alive than-"

"Enough," Damien cut him off. A crashing noise came from the room. "Do what you want with that monster child. Just make sure he dies. As for Tira, I have her completely under *my* control."

My eyes widened. One thought is stuck in my mind.

They have Tira.

They don't have the others, but they have Tira!

I wracked my mind over what to do. How was I going to escape? Should I leave without helping Tira away from them? Should I get Mr. Crepsley and the others to help? Maybe with backup we can get out of here. Maybe Mr. Crepsley and the others are already on their way to come and rescue us.

Before I could make a decision a familiar voice sounded through the door that was holding Steve and Damien. "Who's Darren? Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Nobody you need to think of my sweet," Damien cooed.

My eyes watered with hurt confusion. What was going on? Before I could think of a logical solution footsteps sounded as if they were heading towards the door. I began to panic. What was I going to do? I ran in the opposite direction I came from. Surely they would head the other way to the cell that once held me. I wasn't planning on getting caught.

Not now. Not when I'm so close to escape. I flee to the shadows once more.

An endless maze! That's what the place reminded me of. Nothing but twists turns and doors everywhere. It's like there's no way out. My fist slams the wall with frustration. Where is the damn exit?

I hear Steve let out an angered yell, "Darren!" Footsteps echo around me. My eyes widen as fear sinks in. If he catches me this time I'm as good as dead.

I grope around for something to hide in.

Anything!

Here!

Throwing caution to the wind I open the door and quickly close it behind me. The footsteps get closer and then pass. I sigh and attempt to look about me.

The room's warmer than the rest of the dungeon. I look to my left. A fire is crackling merrily. Lighted torches hanging on the crimson walls give off an iridescent glow. I look over at the bed. Someone is in it. The person shifts position as I let out a gasp. Quietly, I scan for some sort of hiding place. To my right is a closet. I hide in it but leave some space between the door and wall so I can see through it. Just wait here 'till the person leaves.

The body pulls off the covers. It's Tira!

Boy, if Mr. Crepsley were here he would most surely yell about everything I did wrong. He's always pointing out my mistakes.

Throwing caution to the wind, I burst out of the closet and ran to her, putting my hands on her shoulders. I begin inquiring. "Tira! Are you all right? We've got to get out of here! Come on!" I grab her arm and begin to run. She doesn't move. "Tira? What's wrong with you?" I pull her arm again and she jerks it back.

She looks at me quizzically. "Who are you? Are you that boy my master's been looking for?"

"Tira. What's gotten into you?" I try tugging her arm. She doesn't budge. I turn to fully face her. Her eyes have a glazed look to them. You can barely see her pupils and the color has a gray tinge to it. "Tira, what did he do to you?"

"Do you like?" I spin around to see Damien's cold blue eyes staring at me from the doorway. "This is the very reason why she tries so hard not to look into my eyes. Eventually, though, she can't resist any more and becomes mine once again. I have power over her that she cannot refuse to accept." He smiles, it radiates evil.

"You bastard. What did you do to her? Leave her alone or I'll-"

"Or you'll what, Darren?" He walks up to her and fondles her hair. She presses her body up against his and stares blankly at me. I clench my fists. Frustrated tears threaten to break through. I don't let them out; he's not worth it. "I don't see where you have any freedom to do anything." He motions for someone behind me. I spin around only to be met by the muzzle of Steve's gun.

Damn!

Steve makes a clicking noise with his tongue. "I thought you'd know better than to run off. It appears that you brain stays as unadvanced as your appearance."

I scowl. _'He's just trying to upset me so I do something stupid.'_ I tell myself. _'Don't pay attention to his mockery.'_

"Just give up and I might make your death less painful," Steve mocks. He chuckles. "On second thought… I wouldn't do that even if you *had* saved my life that night. I'm still going to kill you for your betrayal."

Damien growls, "Enough, get rid of that eyesore or I'll do it for you."

Steve looks angrily at Damien, then nods. He circles around me, the gun still fixated on its target. "Now, back to your cell," my once best friend pushes me with the end of his gun. He pushes me through the maze of hallways back to a familiar room: the room where I first woke up.

Steve Leopard smiles, "Now, Darren, I'll show you the true meaning of pain."

An: Bwah ha ha ha! Evil cliffhanger. Maybe I should have written more. I don't know. This should be good. Let me know what you people think.


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